The 27-year-old actor who shot to fame in the Harry Potter film franchise said the industry lagged behind others when it came to diversity and equal pay for men and women.

When asked in an interview with BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire on if racism was present in Hollywood, Radcliffe said it was "pretty undeniable".

"We like to think of ourselves as being a very, very progressive industry, but we sort of have been lagging behind in all kinds of different areas that have been very well documented."

The self-described feminist made reference to this year's #OscarsSoWhite controversy, which came after black actors were excluded from the major acting awards for the second year in a row.

"I think there's lots of things about the Oscars, there's lots of amazing performances every year that don't get recognised," he said. "I feel like there's a lot that is kind of unseen about the process."

Radcliffe, who was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences earlier this year, also called out the Hollywood gender pay gap as "crazy", highlighting an essay Jennifer Lawrence wrote in 2015.

"Jennifer Lawrence was the person who wrote that letter and started that whole conversation. It's crazy that that still goes on, and it's also in department to department around the the industry as well."

Radcliffe's comments come just weeks after publication of the University of Southern California's annual Hollywood diversity report, which found roles for women and non-whites in 2015's biggest 100 films were at the same level they were nine years ago.

Asked why more Hollywood actors hadn't come out as gay, Radcliffe said they feared being typecast by film executives.

"I suppose because then people just want to cast you as gay."

"Neil Patrick Harris has made a career as playing the straightest guy on television [Barney on How I Met Your Mother], which is fantastic. It is sad, but there is a kind of line where people say 'Oh no, people won't buy him as straight anymore."

He said things were starting to change for the better, however, with more diverse scripts coming across his desk.

"Now that these conversations have come up, I feel like things are going to start changing. I'm starting to see it in scripts I read, particularly for female characters. You just see people make more of an effort."

The actor ruled out his own return to the Harry Potter franchise - in the near term - saying he enjoyed being able to explore other creative pursuits.

"No one's asked me about it and I definitely don't think I would do it at this point, certainly, just because it's only been six years and I'm really enjoying being able to do lots of other stuff at the moment."

His latest film Imperium, in which his plays an FBI agent posing as a white supremacist opposite Toni Collette, hits Australian cinemas on February 7.